Louis Barabbas (born John Louis Shurmer-Smith on 21st January 1983 in St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth) is a UK songwriter, performer and poet, best known for his bitter love laments and energetic stage shows.

His performance career began in the Captive Audience Theatre Company but he retired from acting aged 21 to pursue a career in harmonica playing with London rock band The Derelicts. Personal differences eventually split the group and Barabbas moved to the United States, playing with bands such as Dr Dog and The Stonethrowers in Philadelphia whilst building up his own repertoire of (what he later described as) "lyric driven dirt-swing".

When he returned to the UK in 2006 he formed The Bedlam Six (originally called The Black Velvet Band) with whom he still performs, a band that have become infamous for the onstage vocal sparring of Barabbas and fellow vocalist Alison Cegielka.

Louis Barabbas has since written a musical "Dead At The Cafe Styx" with fellow performers Alabaster Deplume and Richard Barry, secured a publishing deal for his collected lyrics with Tragically Flawed Books, begun work on a film score and set up his own label Debt Records with Bedlam Six trombone player Biff Roxby.

When not touring his own songs he can sometimes be seen playing spoons with John Fairhurst, Dave Rybka and Richard Barry. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.